Evolved Technologist ® -

In April 2009, some of the leading figures in industry and academia gathered in Dresden, Germany for the International Research Forum. This gathering, sponsored by SAP Research, explored the future of the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things represents the frontier where the digital and physical worlds meet. It is network of interconnected devices that provide real-time information about the world. These technologies are now expanding outside the closed loops of factories and supply chains and extending into broader and more complex applications. This explosion of digital information will transform business processes along the entire product lifecycle: raw materials, manufacturing, logistics, retail, consumer, and even disposal and recycling.

For two days, these thinkers at the IRF 2009 put their collective intelligence to work to explore this frontier and envision its future. They heard presentations from prescient observers, engaged in lively debate, and made bold predictions.

This document provides detailed guidance for independent software vendors (ISVs) and others developing applications that integrate with SAP Business Suite.

Chapter 1 provides an overview of the motivation for and scope of this initiative.

Chapter 2 summarizes the specific guidelines in seven areas: application lifecycle management, process orchestration and service-oriented architecture, user interface and user experience, enterprise information management, data tools, application development, and governance and security.

Chapter 3 covers the important area of application life-cycle management.

Chapter 4 covers process orchestration and service-oriented architecture.

Chapter 5 discusses the guidelines related to the user interface and user experience.

Chapter 6 covers enterprise information management. Only the preliminary introduction of this chapter is included in this edition; the completed chapter is planned for online release in the second quarter of 2010. (See http://bestbuiltapps.sap.com for the latest information.)

Additional chapters will be added to future editions of this document, expanding each of the remaining areas covered in Chapter 2, including data tools, application development, and governance and security.

In May 2008, top researchers from around the world gathered near Potsdam, Germany for the International Research Forum sponsored by SAP Research. For two days, these thinkers from business, academia and government examined a topic that will increasingly become part of our vocabulary: the Internet of Services. The discussion illuminated how the Internet of Services will change enterprise computing. It will help businesses leverage core strengths, find partners in new business networks, collaborate and tap new global markets. Software as a service, cloud computing and other trends are democratizing innovation as never before. The infrastructure barriers to doing business in the Internet of Services are falling away. Yet, as this book shows, this new world also poses challenges different from anything we have seen before.

Driven to Perform: Risk-Aware Performance Management From Strategy Through Execution shows how to achieve tangible business results through the modern practice of performance management. The book provides a comprehensive tour of the performance management methods and software applications that help companies master the complexity and chaos of the modern business world. No other book on performance management contains the overview of the process, technology, and people issues in the field (Parts I and II) along with hands-on recommendations for specific business areas such as Sales, Finance, IT, Supply Chain, Product Development, and more (Part III). Improving performance management is a necessity in order to propagate strategy, manage risk, design and optimize processes, compare potential scenarios, achieve compliance, and manage numerous partner relationships. This book is an essential guide to driving transformation to a high-performance, data-driven company.

The business process expert, or BPX, is an emerging role that is changing the dynamics in numerous companies.

Process First: The Evolution of the Business Process Expert Role not only harvests wisdom about who BPXers are and what they can do to help companies move forward and increase internal communications. The project also represents an effort by business process experts for business process experts.

In Enterprise SOA: Designing IT for Business Innovation, Dan Woods and Thomas Mattern analyze SAP's blueprint for putting SOA to work. In addition to design, development, and architecture, vital contextual issues such as governance, security, change management, and culture are also explored.

So you want to wiki? This friendly guide gets you up and running in the wiki world in no time, from creating and editing wiki pages and going public to handling maintenance, promotion, and project management. You'll see how to handle the hurdles of shared authorship, use structured wiki applications, and prepare for the wikis of the future.

SAP GRC for Dummies explains the issues surrounding governance, risk, and compliance in the classic Dummies style.

In May of 2007, SAP hosted the second International Research Forum in Eltville, Germany, bringing together leading thinkers from academia, business, and government. International Research Forum 2007 captures the insights and advances the research agenda that emerged from this conference, covering Enterprise 2.0, The Service Grid, User-Driven Innovation, and Business Model Transformtion.